Who am I?

My name is Collette Osborne I own salons in Nottingham.

We opened our first salon in 2012 in memory of our mum who we sadly lost to breast cancer Christmas 2011. She had a bad experience after losing her hair whilst having chemo so we set out to make sure every person could have the best possible service in luxury surroundings and everyone is treated like she would have been our "Angel".

At the time of opening our business we obviously took out all the necessary insurances to safeguard our work colleagues' jobs and our business. We even took out all extensions offered like infectious diseases and terrorism. 

So, after many years of running a successful business where we have gone from strength to strength and now employ 44 people.

What are we fighting for?

In March the government ordered us to close, which we totally agreed to as we believe in safety first for our employees, clients and our community.

We called our insurers straight away as we knew we had business interruption but they refused to pay. Imagine our shock when the brokers sent out a standard "computer says no" response. We tried and tried had phones cut off, emails ignored and it went on. 

Our Owner Collette started talking to other salons, hairdressers, barbers, beauty therapists and quickly realised all salons who had this insurance policy had the same issue. So many businesses and so many jobs are now hanging by a thread when the business owners thought they had done the right thing to protect their employees.

The excuses and evasive tactics so far have been quite shocking. We have a group now to help salon owners, hairdressers and beauticians all over the UK.

So, our only option is to go legal, our businesses and many employees' jobs depend on it. 

Why are we taking legal action?

• We have to try and save as many jobs as possible and many salons with sadly close. 
• Our industry hair & beauty, combined with service & retail, employs over 600,000 in the UK - mainly women, single parents, low income households, your family, and friends.
• Not to mention the amount of apprenticeships for which salons get no support. 
• The insurers still collect the premiums despite refusing pay out.
• The FCA are involved in a test case - yet no one really trusts them following the banking crisis in 2008 - where the cover up was huge. However, we are still hopeful that they will do the right thing and be transparent and open but they are not and refuse to have any representation apart from what is agreed with insurers! 
• The insurers - a large insurance recently declared dividends so a pay-out to shareholders of £753 MILLION pounds, whilst our industry is left to fold.

Why is this important?

Does this sound familiar? We all know it's a common topic when you have an event where you need to claim you have a car crash and they try to "wriggle out" and limit what you are paid back. The UK public have a general mistrust of insurers intentions and we all know too well how they wriggle out of as much as they can, and this is no different.

They collect our premiums but when we need to claim on what we have paid to cover we can't and usually have to fight for everything.

The next step in our case

The FCA have now had to act and have stated that they will take some "sample" cases to court. However, we need a true and fair representation so there isn't a closed court hearing without the policy holder beings truly represented. How is this even fair? 

On 15.5.2020 the FCA announced that policy holders from industry could submit but WERE ONLY ALLOWED 3 WORKING DAYS! Yet the insurers have had 14 working days.

So we now need to challenge the FCA's decision to only allow 3 working days for representations to be made to instruct leading Counsel to advise on and prepare draft representations / submissions to be made to the FCA to engage with the FCA and their legal representatives during the preparation of their claim to ensure that the concerns of the industry I represent are reflected in the FCA's claim. 

How can you help?

So, we now need YOU - every person who uses the services of a hairdresser, a barber, a beauty therapist, a nail technician, or shops for beauty products to GET BEHIND US. Please make a donation and share this page via social media/WhatApp or email.

All we ask if if you can possibly give a fiver or whatever you wish to give so we can then try and save YOUR SALONS and all of the jobs they create. 

We have already lost friends & loved ones :-( please help us and don't let us lose our businesses and all of the jobs we have worked so hard to create. 

So, PLEASE help and share, your hairdressers, barbers & beauty therapists futures need you 

Stay safe and thank you on behalf of every hairdresser, beauty therapist and barber.

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